What’s That Popping Sound During an Adjustment?

One of the most common questions people ask about chiropractic adjustments is:

“What exactly is that popping sound?”

It can sound dramatic, especially if you’ve never been adjusted before, but it’s actually a pretty simple process — and no, it isn’t your bones cracking or grinding together.

So What Makes the Pop?

The joints in your spine contain a small amount of fluid that helps them move smoothly. Naturally dissolved in that fluid are gases, including nitrogen.

When a joint is adjusted, the joint surfaces are gently and quickly separated. That creates a sudden drop in pressure inside the joint.

The pressure change allows some of that dissolved gas to come out of the fluid very quickly, creating the familiar pop or crack you hear.

Think about that distinctive crack you hear when you first open a can of soda. The sound happens because of a sudden change in pressure. Something similar happens inside a joint during an adjustment — a quick pressure change allows gas to come out of the joint fluid, creating that familiar popping sound.

Why Can’t You Pop the Same Joint Again Right Away?

You’ve probably noticed this with your knuckles.

Pop one of your knuckles and then immediately try to pop it again. Usually, you can’t.

That’s because it takes some time for the gases inside the joint to dissolve back into the joint fluid and for the pressure to reset. Once that happens, the joint may be able to pop again.

So if you’ve ever wondered why you can’t just keep cracking the same knuckle over and over, that’s why.

Does the Joint Have to Pop for an Adjustment to Work?

No.

The sound is simply something that may happen during an adjustment. It isn’t what makes the adjustment effective.

The goal is to improve how the joint moves, restore range of motion, and reduce the mechanical irritation that may be contributing to pain or stiffness.

Sometimes you hear a loud pop.

Sometimes you hear a small one.

Sometimes there is no sound at all.

That doesn’t necessarily tell us whether the adjustment was successful.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like the sound or sensation of joints popping, that’s completely okay. There are chiropractic techniques and adjusting tools that can be used with very little popping — or no popping at all. Let us know what you’re comfortable with, and we can choose an approach that works better for you.

James River Chiropractic & Wellness
Springfield, Missouri
417-350-1131